Why We Pledge

We pledge for two main reasons:

1. Stewarding the gospel as the local church on God's mission is not to be taken lightly or haphazardly, we stand on the shoulders of generations who have passed on the gospel to us and we get to see the kingdom expand in our lifetimes and the stakes are eternal for our neighbors all around us.

Pledging our finances allows the leadership of the church to make more informed decisions to steward the gospel and mission of the church, knowing the resources that are going to be given throughout the year.

Long term plans with larger impact, in and outside of our church, come into clearer focus when we have an expectation as to how the church plans to give throughout the year.

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,” (Luke 14:28–29, ESV)

2. Pledging causes all of us to examine how we are stewarding the finances entrusted to us in general and towards the mission of Jesus through the local church. We think that's a healthy, refining and galvanizing process for all of us.

"So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:11–12, ESV)

Questions to Consider

Doesn't pledging take the worship out of my giving?

Planning how you will worship Jesus with your wealth doesn't mean it's not worshipful, It's possible the intentionality might make it even more weighty and meaningful to you.

We plan and are intentional about the most important things in our lives.

Our hearts and our treasure are connected according to Jesus. So whenever we put "our" treasure somewhere we are putting our hearts there too. That's why giving to the local church is an act of worship.

The church is the body of Christ. When we give to the church, we give to Jesus, we put our treasure and hearts in his hands. That can happen weekly, monthly or yearly. The Bible points to regular and proportional giving as normative.

Should I Pledge / Give 10% (Tithe) of my annual income?

Whether or not tithing carries over from the Old Testament is a debated subject among Christians.

Paul teaches the Corinthians to give regularly and proportionally "as they prosper", "according to what you have", and even commends others who went "beyond their means, of their own accord". (1Cor 16:2,2Cor 8:3, 8:12)

Proverbs 3:9 encourages us to “honor the Lord with [our] wealth, with the first fruits of [our] crops,” meaning the primary and choicest of our possessions. God has modeled “first fruits” by giving us his son, Jesus Christ. Our response to God should reflect our love of and devotion to him.

If Old Testament believers were giving 10% of their income to ministry and the poor, it's hard to imagine desiring to give less now that the Son of God has come and died for us, been raised from the dead and commissioned us to make disciples of all the nations!

10% may be a helpful place to start or work towards. For some 10% is out of reach right now, for others 10% isn't reflective of sacrificial giving in light of the gospel and priority of our mission.

Stewardship is key, God has given us everything we have; some to sow, some to save, some to spend. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)

Annual. When you submit your pledge our system asks for the total amount you pledge to give for 2017. Any donations already given to the General Fund in 2016 will count towards your 2017 pledge. For example if you pledge to give $12,000 in 2016 and have already given $2,000 in 2017 you still pledge $12,000 for 2017. The system will update to show you are $2,000 towards your $12,000 pledge.

We understand that life happens, things change. We are making real plans based on your pledge therefore we ask that you let us know if and when you are unable to meet your pledge by emailing admin@theville.church.

Directions for 2017 Pledging

How to Pledge

The Ville Church uses a company called GivingFire to process our online donations. Within GivingFire you can set up a pledge and recurring gift schedule and/or make a one-time donation. With an account you can simply login to track your pledge progress and giving history.